Spring is almost upon us! IslandLotus Yoga would like to invite you to a free yoga class, this Saturday, March 21st, at 9am, to experience and participate in a half-mala. A half-mala is 54 consecutive Salutes to the Sun to celebrate the return of the Sun, new beginnings, warmth and growth. Mindful meditation combined with vigorous exercise and traditional yoga poses. This is a free event and open to all regardless of experience.. I am hoping that Spring will cooperate with this event and give us a lovely warm day on beautiful Knotts Island Bay, so that we can practice outside, but the class will be held regardless of what Spring plans for this Saturday. IslandLotus Yoga is at 204 Parker Lane, Knotts Island, NC. If you’d like more information about this event, please call/text me (mari) at 252.722.1690 or follow the Facebook link below.

I’ll be running this giveaway for one week, from December 2nd to December 9th, 2014. The giveaway is for one signed copy of Stories from the Other World. To enter to win, leave a comment here, or on Facebook. Bonne chance!

(Update: The giveaway is over, and the winner is…Ann Sutton! Thank you to all who entered and for all your support.)

In honor of Black Friday, here’s my aconsumerism post Conquering IKEA. Enjoy! And remember kids, you save even more when you don’t buy anything at all!

My college apartment was amazing. Over the course of my three years there I furnished and decorated the whole place, floor to ceiling, with stuff from IKEA. I had couches, tables, chairs, curtains, bookshelves, framed art. The works. I have no idea how much money I spent at IKEA, but it must have been a lot. I remember giving myself a $100 budget every time I went to IKEA and I went often.

Then when I graduated, I gave it all away. I was hitting the road west, to Oregon, and every single thing I owned that wouldn’t fit in my 2-door VW had to go. I could have sold it. I could have stored it all…

Visit me at Willowgait Farm’s Artisan Festival on Sunday, Oct. 26th, 2014, from 10am t0 4pm on beautiful Knotts Island, North Carolina. I’ll be signing copies of my new book, Stories from the Other World and holding drawings for free yoga classes and book copies.

Willowgait Farm Artisan Fair 2014

I’ll also be selling paintings by Ethel Barritt, baby spider plants and aloe veras, and homemade hot pepper vinegar. The Knotts Island Ruritans will be there selling barbecue, too. Come on down and enjoy the day!

Raja (Royal or King) Yoga comes from the Vietnamese tradition of Yoga. It combines familiar yoga poses with strenuous exercise and is suitable for people at all levels of practice- from beginners to more advanced levels. Because my classes are small, I tailor them to fit individuals at their pace and skills, also what they hope to get out of yoga.

The class beginning Saturday, August 30th, at 9am, will be new, The Wednesday night class (6pm) had been going on since February 2014. All students are asked to follow these guidelines:

Please arrive about 5-10 minutes before the class. We’ll need a little time to meet each other and get settled before class.

Bring a mat, if you have one (there are a few extras available) or a large towel.

Wear clothes that allow you to move freely and that give you support.

Eat lightly, and give yourself a couple of hours to digest, before class.

Remove your shoes at the door. Socks are okay, but ideally we will practice barefoot.

Turn off cell phones or leave them in your car.

No perfumes or heavy fragrances of any kind. We’ll be breathing deeply and need clean air.

Bring water, if you like.

Keep conversation to a minimum during class.

Most of all, bring an open mind and a positive and willing attitude.

The first class is free. If you decide to continue, each class will be $10 per person for the 1 hour class. Pay ahead for 4 classes for $30, or 8 classes for $60. Bring a friend and get a free class.

All classes are held at 204 Parker Lane. Parker Lane is off of South End Road, and is at first a paved road, then becomes a dirt lane that makes a sharp left as you approach the bay. 204 is the 2nd house on the right after you make the sharp left turn.

Please call or text me at 252.722.1690 if you have questions, need help to get to class, or just to say hello. I hope to meet you soon.

If you have been following this blog, you have seen a couple of posts about how my yoga teacher, a Karate-Do Master, yoga master, and Zen teacher, Master Adam Nguyen, have been working with Light Age Films on a movie starring Master Adam (read the back story here). The movie now has a name: Eyes of the Roshi (roshi means teacher). It has a Facebook page, a website, an IMDB entry, a Twitter account…I’ll give the links in a bit but right now, the movie is in the running for IndieWIRE’s Project of the Month, and needs your vote. (Update 8.28.14: The voting is over and sadly, we did not win. Congratulations to “The Lot”, IndieWire’s Project of the Month.)

After you have voted, PollDaddy will send you an email confirmation- be sure to confirm when the email comes or your vote will not be counted.

Movie Poster

You can view a teaser for the movie here at the website page, (look for me under the “crew” tab!) and here is the Facebook page. It has been an experience working with Light Age Films and the many creative people I have met. We would all appreciate your vote, and always, I appreciate your eyes on this blog.

About the image above…

...these are sacred lotus flowers, leaves and pods, also known as the Indian or Oriental lotus (Nelumbo nucifera). They grow alongside the road that leads to the island where we live. Photo by Mari Mann.

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